Your weekly dose of scam-proofing in 3 minutes or less—no fluff, just the latest hacks, scams, phishing attacks, and cyber cons you actually need to know about.

🚨SCAM OF THE WEEK: Real Estate Scams

Because getting scammed before you even get the keys is a brutal welcome home.

What is a Real Estate Scam?

It’s any fraud where criminals exploit the housing market - rentals, sales, or title deeds - to steal money or personal info.

Whether you’re renting a flat, buying a home, or listing one, someone’s out there trying to scam you at every step.

How it works

1. Fake landlord, real deposit:

   You find a rental listing that looks great - reasonable price, good area, nice photos. The “landlord” says they’re out of town but urges you to pay the deposit quickly to secure it.

   You send the money. The property? Not theirs. Or it doesn’t exist. Or it’s already rented to someone else.

2. Hijacked listings:

   Scammers copy legit rental ads, repost them on Facebook Marketplace or Gumtree, and change the contact details. You end up sending money to someone who had nothing to do with the property.
   

3. Phantom property sales:
   You find a house for sale online. You get the details, you start chatting with the “agent,” they push for a quick deposit or holding fee. But they don’t work for any agency - and the property isn’t for sale.
   

4. Title fraud:
   Criminals use forged documents to transfer ownership of a property to their name- usually when the true owner is away or deceased. They then try to remortgage it or sell it.

   
   

   By the time anyone notices, they’ve vanished with the cash.

Why it works

• Housing demand is high and people feel pressured to act fast

• Victims are often emotionally and financially invested already

• Scammers copy real listings to appear legit

• In rental scams, it often targets people moving cities or countries - making in-person viewings hard

• In title fraud, the victim often doesn’t know anything has happened until it's too late.

Real-world examples

🏠 In 2023, UK renters lost over £11 million to rental scams - mostly involving fake landlords and hijacked listings.

🏠 One woman in London transferred £2,000 to hold a flat she’d never seen, after being told she’d lose it if she didn’t act quickly. When she arrived to collect the keys, the real tenants had no idea who she was.

🏠 A property in South Africa was sold fraudulently by scammers using forged identity documents and a fake power of attorney while the real owner was working overseas. The buyer lost millions - and the real owner almost lost their house.

Red flags to look out for

• “Landlord” or agent can’t meet in person or show the property

• You're pressured to pay a deposit before viewing

• You're asked to wire money or use untraceable payment methods

• The listing appears on multiple platforms with different contact info

• Documents look altered, signatures don’t match, or the seller seems evasive

How not to get played

• Never pay a deposit or fee before viewing a property in person (or through a trusted representative)

• Use registered letting agents or estate agencies with a public presence

• Check ownership records - land registries are public in many countries

• Be wary of sellers or landlords who push for urgency or secrecy

• If you’re a property owner, consider putting a restriction on your title deed to prevent fraudulent sales

🔥 ONE-LINER HOT TAKE

If the keys, the contract, and the landlord are all digital ghosts - you’re not renting a home, you’re buying a scam.

That’s it for this week.

Don’t let desperation turn into disaster. Real homes come with real paperwork - and real people.

Catch you next time,

Dan & the Goldphish Team

📌 P.S. Know someone moving cities or flat-hunting online? Forward this before they transfer money for a property that doesn’t exist, or tell them to subscribe below.👇